Dear John,

In 2021, the House of Representatives passed legislation that received support from Democrats and a number of Republicans that would provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and the agricultural workforce. In 2023, it is unlikely that these measures will get a vote in the House.

Congress must act, but it will only act if members know that supporting immigrants is a top priority for their constituents. Call your Senators. Call your Congressional Representative. Tell them that Congress must act NOW in December to pass:

• the American Dream and Promise Act, a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS holders;
• the Farm Workforce Modernization Act;
• the Afghan Adjustment Act.

As many as 2.3 million Dreamers brought to the United States as children are at risk of deportation if Congress does not act. They have grown up here, gone to school here, and many now are essential workers, contributing to and supporting the country they call home.

Almost 400,000 TPS and DED holders, unable to return home because of war and natural disasters, have lived here for years, often for decades. Although about 130,000 of these immigrants are essential workers, they still have no path to permanent residence, no line to wait in.

Congress must pass legislation that would provide Dreamers and TPS holders with certainty – protecting them from deportation and affording them an opportunity to obtain permanent legal status in the United States.

Farmworkers have maintained our food supply and ensured Americans have food on their tables throughout the past two years. Yet as many as 78% of them – including the undocumented, temporary guest-workers, green card holders, and naturalized citizens – were born outside of the United States. The House has passed and now the Senate must pass legislation to reform and modernize our agricultural visa program.

Afghans who worked with U.S. forces before the Taliban takeover of their country remain at high risk. More than 80,000 fled to the United States in 2021. For many, their temporary humanitarian parole status will run out in 2023, leaving them at risk of deportation. Others remain in uncertain exile or hiding within Afghanistan as Taliban forces hunt them down. They need and deserve the protection of the Afghan Adjustment Act.

A majority of Republicans and Democrats across the country support a path to citizenship for Dreamers, for TPS holders, for farm workers, and for Afghan refugees.

NOW is the time to act.

Call your Senators. Call your Congressional Representative. Tell them that Congress must act NOW in December to pass:

• the American Dream and Promise Act, a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and TPS holders;
• the Farm Workforce Modernization Act;
• the Afghan Adjustment Act.

In solidarity,

Veena Iyer

ILCM Executive Director